Wildlife

JTG said:
So, a few times I’ve seen scat on the property and wondered what it was. Big, and black. Did I say big? Not deer. Too big for cayote, or fox. Not a small mammal of any kind. Always thought to myself....damn, that looks like bear shit! Not that I’ve ever before seen known bear shit to confirm.

Methinks I may have been right. I was taking a soak in the hot tub last night. As I usually do when I hear tromping in the woods, I hunkered down quiet, figuring a deer would pop out. However, deer can move through brush pretty good, and this sound was more like something akin to a bull in a china shop. Almost wondered if people were back there. Hmmm...

Well, much to my surprise, a black bear came out into the yard. Shit. Believe you me I ducked down as much as I could, trapped in the hot tub, the bear walking by not more than twelve feet from what I figured could be my watery grave, lest I make any noise. Fortunately he kept on walking, but man that was (extra?) scary! Pretty cool, too.

Of course my son didn’t believe me. Like I’ve never seen a bear before, albeit I’ve never seen one in the “wild”. I estimated his rear haunches to be upwards of three feet high, his length on all fours was maybe four to five feet? Sure enough, I just looked up the size of adult male black bears and that’s close Thing was probably tall as me (6’4”) if standing upright, probably 250 to 300 pounds.

Time to start carrying a flashlight (or maybe order some bear spray for) when I walk the dog at night....
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I'm not really scared of them tbh. I respect that they *could* kill me if they wanted but I also know that they really don't want to.

One time I was meditating outside and a cub walked right up to me. I didn't even see it until it was within arm's reach. I gasped and it ran away like I was a ghost.

Another time I walked around the corner of my house and there was an immense black bear standing just a few feet away, looking at me like I walked into the bathroom without knocking. We both got spooked. She ran away and I yelled foul obscenities at her in the hope that she'd get offended and never come back.

I always keep an air horn handy as it scares them away and the look on their face when it goes off is always priceless.
 
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The rational me would surely know the bear really wants no part of me. Of course, after a little stress relief of the non-brown-liquor variety, with a wild animal...a big one....a dozen feet away, the last thing I wanted to do was startle it into reacting, in any way. That, and even though it would be more interested in twigs and berries than JTG stew, it was still 250 pounds of muscle, claws, and teeth....twelve feet away. Hard not to be a little spooked, whilst thinking how cool it was!
 
It may be exceedingly rare but black bears do occasionally attack people without provocation. I think I remember learning that they exhibit predatory behavior towards humans much more frequently then grizzlies. And the bear experts say that if a black bear continues to show interest in somebody who is playing dead, it means they’re gonna make a meal of it. FYI
 
JTG said:
The rational me would surely know the bear really wants no part of me. Of course, after a little stress relief of the non-brown-liquor variety, with a wild animal...a big one....a dozen feet away, the last thing I wanted to do was startle it into reacting, in any way. That, and even though it would be more interested in twigs and berries than JTG stew, it was still 250 pounds of muscle, claws, and teeth....twelve feet away. Hard not to be a little spooked, whilst thinking how cool it was!
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Anyone living in bear country should read this book: Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance, by Stephen Herrero. It will help you be less worried about black bears and become more terrified of the griz.

But really, I came here to post this:

Today we had missed viral video opportunity #472: earlier this evening we witnessed a showdown between a wild turkey hen and three deer. The hen was minding her own business, pecking and scratching at the remnants of seed under the bird feeder branch (feeder now stored till winter). Three deer wandered into the yard and the youngest one decided to investigate the turkey. It was rather hilarious, the deer going in and out like a puppy checking out a kitten, the turkey spreading its wings in objection. The turkey stood its ground and prevailed, the deer have now wandered off.
 
gorgonzola said:
A big ol' JTG stew lol! we got lots of 'em down here in pa, i've seen dozens over the years hiking, camping mtb etc. with a few close encounters. I think of them as big 'coons - curious and bold, stay clear and don't threaten them or their cubs and you *should* be good!

These guys scare me more!
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Rattler will ruin your day or life
 
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